One of the principle elements in the inquiry process is the ability to formulate questions. With younger students, this may take the form of ‘wonderings’ (I wonder…), and as students get older, we can help them better refine their questions to extend their thinking around a topic. According to the curriculum, students need to formulate questions related to the applicable overall expectation in order to identify the focus of their inquiry.
When refining questions, the following criteria may be helpful: Is it something I really want to know (not something I already know the answer to), Is it a question that is reasonable to ask - and possible to answer Is it a question that would generate a “thick” response (not a yes/no answer). Implications in the Classroom:
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Q-Chart retrieved from: http://www.tvdsb.ca/webpages/tkernaghan/imageGallery/Instructional%20Strategies/Q%20Chart.png